<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
This Surah takes its name from vv. 136, 138 and 139 in which some
superstitious beliefs of the idolatrous Arabs concerning the
lawfulness of some cattle (<em>an`am</em>) and the unlawfulness of some others
have been refuted.
</p>
<h2>Period of Revelation</h2>
<p>
According to a tradition of Ibn Abbas, the whole of the Surah was
revealed at one sitting at Makkah. Asma, a daughter of Yazid and a
first cousin of Hadrat Mu'az-bin Jabl, says,. "During the revelation
of this Surah, the Holy Prophet was riding on a she-camel and I was
holding her nose-string. The she-camel began to feel the weight so
heavily that it seemed as if her bones would break under it."We also
learn from other traditions that the Holy Prophet dictated the whole
of the Surah the same night that it was revealed. 
</p>
<p>
Its subject-matter
clearly shows that it must have been revealed during the last year of
the Holy Prophet's life at Makkah. The tradition of Asma, daughter of
Yazid, also confirms this. As she belonged to the <em>Ansar</em> and embraced
Islam after the migration of the Holy Prophet to Yathrab, her visit to
the Holy Prophet at Makkah must have taken place during the last year
of his life there. For before this, his relations with those people
were not so intimate that a woman from there might have come to visit
him at Makkah.
</p>
<h2>Occasion of Revelation</h2>
<p>
After determining the period of its revelation, it is easier to
visualize the background of the Surah. Twelve years had passed since
the Holy Prophet had been inviting the people to Islam. The antagonism
and persecution by the Quraish had become most savage and brutal, and
the majority of the Muslims had to leave their homes and migrate to
Habash (Abyssinia). Above all, the two great supporters of the Holy
Prophet. Abu Talib and Hadrat Khadijah, were no more to help and give
strength to him. Thus he was deprived of all the worldly support. But
in spite of this, he carried on his mission in the teeth of opposition.
As a result of this, on the one hand, all the good people of Makkah
and the surrounding clans gradually began to accept Islam ; on the
other hand, the community as a whole, was bent upon obduracy and
rejection. Therefore, if anyone showed any inclination towards Islam,
he was subjected to taunts and derision, physical violence and social
boycott. It was in these dark circumstances that a ray of hope gleamed
from Yathrab, where Islam began to spread freely by the efforts of
some influential people of Aus and Khazraj, who had embraced Islam at
Makkah. This was a humble beginning in the march of Islam towards
success and none could foresee at that time the great potentialities
that lay hidden in it. For, to a casual observer, it appeared at that
time as if Islam was merely a weak movement it had no material backing
except the meager support of the Prophet's own family and of the few
poor adherents of the Movement. Obviously the latter could not give
much help because they themselves had been cast out by their own
people who had become their enemies and were persecuting them.
</p>
<h2>Topics</h2>
<p>
These were the conditions, when this discourse was revealed. The main
topics dealt with in this discourse may be divided under seven
headings: 
</p>
<p>
<OL>
<LI> Refutation of <em>shirk</em> and invitation to the creed of
<em>Tauhid</em>. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> Enunciation of the doctrine of the "Life-after- death."
and refutation of the wrong notion that there was nothing beyond this
worldly life. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> Refutation of the prevalent superstitions. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> Enunciation of the fundamental moral principles for the building up of
the Islamic Society. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> Answers to the objections raised against the
person of the Holy Prophet and his mission. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> Comfort and
encouragement to the Holy Prophet and his followers who were at, that
time in a state of anxiety and despondency because of the apparent
failure of the mission. 
</p>
<p>
<LI> Admonition, warning and threats to the
disbelievers and opponents to give up their apathy and haughtiness. It
must, however, be noted that the above topics have not been dealt with
one by one under separate headings, but the discourse goes on as a
continuous whole and these topics come under discussion over and over
again in new and different ways.
</p>
</OL>
<h2>The Background of Makki Surahs</h2>
<p>
As this is the first long Makki Surah in the order of the compilation
of the Quran, it will be useful to explain the historical background
of Makki Surahs in general, so that the reader may easily understand
the Makki Surahs and our references to its different stages in
connection with our commentary on them. 
</p>
<p>
First of all, it should be
noted that comparatively very little material is available in regard
to the background of the revelation of Makki Surahs whereas the period
of the revelation of all the Madani Surahs is known or can be
determined with a little effort. There are authentic traditions even
in regard to the occasions of the revelation of the majority of the
verses. On the other hand, we do not have such detailed information
regarding the Makki Surahs. There are only a few Surahs and verses which
have authentic traditions concerning the time and occasion of their
revelation. This is because the history of the Makki period had not
been compiled in such detail as that of the Madani period. Therefore
we have to depend on the internal evidence of these Surahs for
determining the period of their revelation: for example, the topics
they discuss, their subject. matter, their style and the direct or
indirect references to the events and the occasions of their
revelation. Thus it is obvious that with the help of such evidence as
this, we cannot say with precision that such and such Surah or verse
was revealed on such and such an occasion. The most we can do is to
compare the internal evidence of a Surah with the events of the life of
the Holy Prophet at Makkah, and then come to a more or less correct
conclusion as to what particular stage a certain Surah belongs. 
</p>
<p>
If we
keep the above things in view, the history of the mission of the Holy
Prophet at Makkah can be divided into four stages. 
</p>
<p>
The first stage
began with his appointment as a Messenger and ended with the
proclamation of Prophethood three years later. During this period the
Message was given secretly to some selected persons only, but the
common people of Makkah were not aware of it. 
</p>
<p>
The second stage lasted
for two years after the proclamation of his Prophethood. It began with
opposition by individuals: then by and by, it took the shape of
antagonism, ridicule, derision,, accusation, abuse, and false
propaganda then gangs were formed to persecute those Muslims who were
comparatively poor, weak' and helpless. 
</p>
<p>
The third stage lasted for
about six years from the beginning of the persecution to the death of
Abu Talib and Hadrat Khadijah in the tenth year of Prophethood. During
this period, the persecution of the Muslims became' so savage and
brutal that many of them were forced to migrate to Habash. Social and
economic boycott was applied against the Holy Prophet and the members
of his family, and those Muslims who continued to stay in Makkah were
forced to take refuge in Shi'b-i-A'bi Talib which was besieged. 
</p>
<p>
The
fourth stage lasted for about three years from the tenth to the
thirteenth year of Prophethood. This was a period of hard trials and
grievous sufferings for the Holy Prophet and his followers. Life had
become unendurable at Makkah and there appeared to be no place of
refuge even outside it. So much so that when the Holy Prophet went to
Ta'if, it offered no shelter or protection. Besides this, on the
occasion of Haj, he would appeal to each and every Arab clan to
accept his invitation to Islam but met with blank refusal from every
quarter. At the same time, the people of Makkah were holding counsels'
to get rid of him by killing or imprisoning or banishing him from
their city. It was at that most critical time that Allah opened for
Islam the hearts of the <em>Ansar</em> of Yathrab where he migrated at their
invitation. 
</p>
<p>
Now that we have divided the life of the Holy Prophet at
Makkah into four stages, it has become easier for us to tell, as far
as possible, the particular stage in which a certain Makki Sarah was
revealed. This is because the Surahs belonging to a particular stage
can be distinguished from those of the other stages with the help of
their subject matter and style. Besides this, they also contain such
references as throw light on the circumstances and events that form
the background of their revelation. In the succeeding Makki Surahs, we
will determine on the basis of the distinctive features of each stage,
and point out in the Preface, the particular stage in which a certain
Makki Surah was revealed.
</p>
<h2>Subject :Islamic Creed.</h2>
<p>
This Surah mainly discusses the different aspects of the major articles
of the Islamic Creed: <em>Tauhid</em>, Life-after- death, Prophethood an' their
practical application to human life. Side by side with this, it
refutes the erroneous beliefs of the "opponents and answers their
objections, warns and admonishes them and comforts the Holy Prophet
and his followers, who were then suffering from persecution. 
</p>
<p>Of course,
these themes have not been dealt with under separate heads but have
been blended in an excellent manner.
</p>
<h3>Topics and their Interconnection</h3>
<p>
These verses are of introductory and admonitory nature. The disbelievers have been warned that if they do not accept the Islamic Creed and follow the `Light' shown by the Revelation from the All-Knowing and All-Powerful Allah, they would go to the same doom as the former disbelievers did. Their arguments for rejecting the Prophet and the Revelation sent down to him have been refuted and a warning has been given to them that they should not be deluded by the respite that is being granted to them. <strong>1 - 12</strong>
</p>
<p>
These verses inculcate <em>Tauhid</em>, and refute <em>shirk</em> which is the greatest obstacle in the way of its acceptance. <strong>13 - 24</strong>
</p>
<p>
In these verses, a graphic scene of the life in the Hereafter has been depicted in order to warn the disbelievers of the consequences of the rejection of the Articles of Faith. <strong>25 - 32</strong>
</p>
<p>
Prophethood is the main theme which has been discussed from the point of view of the Holy Prophet, his Mission, the limitations of his powers, the attitude towards his followers and also from the point of view of the disbelievers. <strong>33 - 73</strong>
</p>
<p>
In continuation of the same theme, the story of Prophet Abraham has been related to bring home to the pagan Arabs that the Mission of Prophet Muhammad, which they were opposing, was the same as that of Prophet Abraham (Allah's peace be upon them). This line of argument was adopted because they considered themselves to be his followers, especially the Quraish who were proud of being his descendants as well. <strong>74 - 90</strong>
</p>
<p>
Another proof of his Prophethood is the Book, which has been sent down to him by Allah, for its teachings show the right guidance in regard to creed and practice. <strong>91 - 108</strong>
</p>
<p>
Divine restrictions have been contrasted with the superstitious restrictions of the pagan Arabs in order to show the striking differences between the two and thus prove the Quran to be a Revealed Book. <strong>109 - 154</strong>
</p>
<p>
The Jews, who were criticized in vv. 144 - 147 along with the pagan Arabs, have been urged to compare the teachings of the Quran with those of the Torah so that they might recognize their similarity and give up their lame excuses against it, and adopt its Guidance to escape the retribution on the Day of Resurrection. <strong>155 - 160</strong>
</p>
<p>
This is the conclusion of the discourse: the Holy Prophet has been instructed in a beautiful and forceful manner to proclaim fearlessly the articles of the Islamic Creed and their implications. <strong>161 - 165</strong>
</p>

